Weight of the World
by TammyDevil666
Summary: Sookie Stackhouse works as a nanny for the wealthiest, yet cruelest couple in Bon Temps. When tragedy strikes, she's left with more responsibility than she ever could have imagined, but she won't be doing it alone.
1. Chapter 1

**This is just a little something I thought of, it's only about 12 chapters long. I was inspired by "What Maisie Knew," but this will obviously be a lot different. Such a cute movie for those who haven't seen it, Alex was beyond adorable. With the utter disappointment of the last book and now the craziness of season 6, it seems fan fiction is all we'll have. On to the story, I hope you guys like it!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Sookie Stackhouse woke with a start, her head pounding from all the alcohol she had the night before. She normally wasn't a big drinker, but the last few days have been nothing but stressful and she needed some liquid courage. She was regretting that now.

"Sook, open up! What the hell are you doing in there?"

She groaned, throwing the covers off her body and putting on her robe as she headed to the front door. Not even wondering why she apparently went to bed completely naked, but just figured she was too wasted at the time to worry about clothes. Sookie groaned again when the sunlight hit her face, rubbing her aching head. "Do you have to be so loud?"

Amelia Broadway raised her eyebrows, stepping into the house in confusion. "Okay, not a morning person. How much did you drink last night? And what happened with that guy you were all over? I turned my back for a second and you were both gone. You haven't been answering your phone; I must have left a million messages."

Sookie's eyes widened, bits and pieces of the night before suddenly coming back to her. "Oh, no, tell me I didn't." Before Amelia could respond, someone cleared a throat behind her and she turned around frantically, startled at the man standing there. He was really tall, blond, and by far the most gorgeous creature she'd ever seen. She vaguely remembered flirting with him at the bar, but it was all such a blur. His long hair was wet, so he must have been in the shower when she woke up. Her belly abruptly turned and without saying anything to her guests, she ran to the bathroom, emptying out the contents of her stomach into the toilet. Sookie sat there for what felt like forever, hoping that it was all a bad dream. She was a good girl, not the type to meet a man at a bar to have a one night stand with. That just wasn't her.

Once her head stopped feeling fuzzy, she figured it was time to make her presence known and address the situation like an adult. But when she got back to the living room, only Amelia was there. "Where did he go? I didn't just imagine he was here, right?"

Amelia shook her head. "Nope, he's as real as they come. We talked for a bit, got his name, Eric Northman. He said he was late for work, but would call you later. I guess you exchanged phone numbers. What the fuck happened last night, Sook? I'm not one to judge based on how colorful my past is, but this isn't like you."

She rubbed her temples. "I don't know. I've just been so frustrated and once I get a few drinks in me, I have no control over what happens." Her eyes bulged when Amelia's words finally registered. "Work, shit, I'm going to be late now. The Compton's are gonna kill me."

Amelia rolled her eyes when Sookie took off to get dressed. "I don't know why you don't quit that job, those people are fucking horrible. Just because they're practically the richest couple in town, they think they have a right to treat everyone like crap."

Sookie came back out a few minutes later, putting her earrings in and grabbing her purse off the couch. "Believe me, I've thought about quitting every day, but I couldn't do that to Alyssa. She needs me. I have to get going, we'll talk at Merlotte's later tonight."

"I'm gonna hold you to that!" Amelia yelled after her friend, but she was long gone.

* * *

Sookie cringed when she reached the Compton residence across the cemetery; the place always gave her chills. Most people around town say it's haunted, but she refused to believe that. Why worry about ghosts when the two people who lived there were way scarier?

She knocked on the door, plastering on a fake smile as it swung open to reveal the butler. This guy made Lurch seem like a puppy dog. He was huge, bald, and she could have sworn that his eyes were violet, but figured he had to be wearing contacts or something. "Hey, Quinn, sorry I'm a little late. My alarm clock didn't go off for some reason."

He grunted, moving out of the way to let her in.

"It's nice to see you, too," she mumbled, crossing the threshold.

"A little late? You are almost twenty minutes late; do you know how many other women would love to be in your position? We hired you because we were told you're the best. You better not make a habit of this, Miss Stackhouse."

Sookie gulped at the woman before her, Lorena Compton, looking just as lethal and glamorous as ever. "I'm terribly sorry, Mrs. Compton, it won't happen again."

"Yes, see that it doesn't, you only get one warning. William! What is taking you so long? The benefit starts in a half an hour! I swear, you're worse than a woman!" she yelled up the stairs.

Sookie tried not to laugh, when the man in question headed down the stairs, wearing what looked to be a very expensive suit.

"Scream louder, dear, I don't think they heard you in Shreveport." He glared at her, gracing Sookie with a smile. "Ah, Miss Stackhouse, it's nice of you to finally grace us with your presence. You are looking as lovely as ever."

She didn't know how to respond to that. Bill Compton was a creep to put it simply. He was married, although not in a very loving relationship, but he was constantly hitting on her and she didn't much care for it. Instead of showing him how uncomfortable she was, she only smiled in return. "Thank you, sir; I'm sorry that I'm late."

He waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Think nothing of it; we still have plenty of time. Some people just always have a stick up their ass," he said, flashing a grin at his wife.

Lorena scowled at him, addressing Sookie. "Alyssa is upstairs; we should be back in a few hours."

That was all she said as she grabbed her husband's arm and pulled him out of the house, the door slamming behind them. Sookie let out the breath she was holding and marched up the stairs, smiling when she reached the room of her most favorite person in the world.

"Sookie, you're here!" the girl squealed, getting up from her bed to give her nanny a hug. "Look, I drew you a picture in art class."

She took the picture with another smile, returning the child's embrace. "It's very beautiful, honey, I'm sure Miss Hamby loved it." Alyssa was home schooled, as her parents would never let any child of theirs go to a public school. The poor girl had hardly even seen the outside of these prison walls, nor did she have any friends her age to play with. That was why Sookie could never quit; giving this little girl some form of normalcy was all she looked forward to anymore. No matter how awful her parents were, Sookie could never leave Alyssa to deal with them on her own.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sookie jerked out of slumber by a door slamming downstairs, looking next to her to see that Alyssa was still passed out. She got up quietly to hear what was going on, only opening the door a little, but it was enough for the voices to carry back up to her.

"You're such a fucking prick! I caught you staring at Sophie-Anne's breasts every time she came over to our table, and don't even think about denying it. You are so damn obvious, you little perv."

"Oh, don't you act all innocent with me," Bill spat. "I may have looked, but you're the one who's actually fucking someone else. Yeah, I know all about your affairs, but do I ever get on your case about them? No, because I could really care less. You could fuck the entire town for all I care; this marriage was never about love. It was always about money, you would be lost without me and you know it. I could decide to leave you in an instant and there's nothing you could do about it. I guarantee when that happens, you won't be getting a penny."

Lorena slapped him across the face. "You wouldn't dare!"

He growled. "Don't test me, sweetheart, you don't know just what I'm capable of."

Sookie closed the door, having heard enough. She went over to Alyssa's bed to see that the girl was now awake, cuddling back up to her side.

"Mommy and Daddy are fighting again," she whispered sadly.

Sookie kissed the top of her head. "I know, honey, that happens sometimes with adults. It doesn't mean they love you any less." She cringed at having to say that, knowing those two probably didn't love anything. They hadn't shown any care for their daughter since Sookie first started working for them nearly six months ago; it was like she didn't even exist to them. Sookie lost her parents at a young age, but even growing up without them, she knew she was loved. She had her Gran and not a day went by that she didn't miss the elder woman.

It was quiet now and Sookie knew it was probably time to go home, although she hated leaving Alyssa behind. If she could, she would take that little girl with her and never look back. She deserved to have a real family. "I have to go now, sweetie, but I'll be back tomorrow. Just keep your door shut after I leave, okay? No one will bother you if it's closed; you're always safe in here. And if things get too scary, just go hide in the tent we put up together. Remember what I told you?"

Alyssa nodded. "It's a magic tent that keeps all the monsters away."

Even the human ones, Sookie thought to herself, giving the girl one last hug and kiss on the cheek. She left the room and walked lightly down the stairs, hoping to just leave without coming across either of the Compton's, but luck was not to be on her side.

"Sookie, trying to sneak out, are you?"

She put on another fake smile as she turned around to greet Bill. "Of course not, I just didn't want to bother you. Alyssa was a perfect angel, as always, just in case you were wondering."

He grinned. "I wasn't, but that's nice to know. You've been very good for her. In fact, I would love to take you out to dinner tonight as a thank you."

Sookie shuddered when he trailed a finger down her arm, taking a step back. "That's very kind of you, sir, but I had plans to meet with some friends tonight. Maybe we could take a rain check."

Bill's smile turned chilling, not used to being rejected, but he only nodded in response. "Very well, I'll just see you tomorrow. If you would like to avoid my wife's wrath from now on, I would try to be on time."

She let out a breath when he walked away, not able to leave that house fast enough.

* * *

"I can't believe you brought me here, Ames, we were supposed to be going to Merlotte's."

Amelia waved her hand in the air. "No offense to Sam, but Merlotte's is played out. Besides, I was hoping we would run into your hottie. Has he called you yet?"

"No, and he's probably not going to. He looked just as embarrassed as I did. Plus, I threw up after I saw him standing there; I doubt he ever wants to see me again. I'm pretty sure he won't be here," Sookie responded, somewhat upset at the thought of never seeing him again, but it was most likely for the best.

"Do you remember anything before you left last night?"

Sookie shook her head. "We talked, flirted, there were lots of drinks involved, but I can't for the life of me remember anything that we chatted about."

The brunette nodded. "Well, you seemed to forget one very important detail," she said, turning her friend around to face the bar.

Sookie's eyes widened when she saw him, Eric Northman, tending the bar like a pro. "He's the bartender? Yeah, I definitely don't remember that. I thought he was just some guy who came up to me because he saw that I was getting plastered."

"This is like fate or something, now's your chance to go talk to him."

Before Sookie could protest, Amelia was shoving her over to the bar. She noticed that Eric looked really busy, he had a smile that lit up the entire room, and every woman was practically eating out the palm of his hand. What was she thinking hooking up with someone like him? He probably made a habit of going home with random strangers all the time, but she came this far and wasn't about to back out now. With that thought in mind, she headed over to the bar and got right in front of him, ordering a gin and tonic. Sookie was wondering if he would even remember her, but when his eyes widened, it was clear that he did.

"Coming right up," he told her. "Don't go anywhere; I want to talk to you."

Sookie nodded, not knowing if sticking around for that conversation would be a good idea or not. What the hell did she get herself into?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Sookie remained sitting at the bar, her untouched gin and tonic in front of her. She didn't want a repeat performance of the night before, so it would probably be best to keep the drinks to a minimum. Eric was laughing with one of his many female customers, Sookie would rather be elsewhere at the moment, but she already told him she wouldn't be going anywhere until they talked.

After what felt like an eternity, Eric finally got someone else to take over and motioned Sookie to a table in the back where they would be able to talk somewhat privately.

"I'm sorry to intrude like this," she said to break the awkward silence. "I wouldn't want you to get fired or anything."

He smiled. "Don't worry, that's not possible. I own the bar."

Her eyes widened, not expecting that, but she just got right to the point. "About last night, did we at least use protection? No offense, you seem like a decent guy and all, but I don't know anything about you. I'm not the kind of person who just takes random men home that I meet at bars; I swear this has never happened before. I know you probably have no reason to believe that…"

Eric cut her off with a raise of his hand, putting her more at ease. "I have no doubts, but we didn't sleep together last night. That's why I wanted to talk to you. I was actually going to call you later; I wasn't expecting you to show up today. I would have waited until you came back out after you found me at your place, but I was already running late. I didn't want you to keep thinking that something happened with us."

Sookie sighed in relief. "That's good to know, but why did you come home with me? And why did I wake up naked if we didn't do anything?"

He ran his fingers through his hair. "You were really out of it; I could see that you were in no position to go home alone. Once we got to your house, you pulled me inside and the next thing I knew, you were taking your clothes off. I tried to stop you, but that obviously didn't happen. You eventually passed out and I put you to bed, I decided to stick around just in case you needed anything, but I slept on the couch all night. I wasn't planning to still be there when you woke up. I didn't want you to get the wrong idea."

If it was possible, Sookie felt even more embarrassed now. "God, I'm so sorry, but thank you for not taking advantage. It was really sweet of you to make sure I was okay."

Eric blushed, gracing her with a warm smile. "It was my pleasure; you just looked like you could use a friend."

She covered his hand with hers, giving it a light squeeze. "I really appreciate that."

He took in a deep breath before continuing. "If you don't mind me asking, why were you so upset last night? You mentioned something about your boss, but I couldn't get much out of you."

Sookie groaned. "I work for the Compton's, you know who they are?"

"I think everyone in town knows who they are, now the drinking makes sense."

She laughed. "Yeah, anyway, they're a complete nightmare. Mr. Compton apparently knows that his wife has been cheating on him and he threatened to cut her off, to make things even more complicated, he's hitting on me more than usual now. He probably just wants to get back at his wife, but I can't afford to lose this job."

"If you want, I could get you a job here as a waitress. I'd hate to see you working for a lowlife like that. I'm sure the pay wouldn't be nearly as good, but we could figure something out," Eric explained.

Sookie shook her head. "That's very kind of you, but it's not about the money. I'm their daughter's nanny; she is the sweetest little girl in the world. I need this job for her, I can't imagine what would happen if I'm not there to keep an eye on her. The Compton's already don't seem to know she exists as it is."

Eric was drawn to this woman since she first set foot in his bar, but now he could see how truly amazing she was. "I'm very sorry to hear that, I hope everything works out for you."

Sookie agreed, glad that she stuck around to talk with Eric. She was wrong to judge him before; he seemed like a genuinely nice guy. That was a very rare breed these days.

* * *

Two weeks later and Sookie was slowly going out of her mind, she dreaded the conversation that took place, but she would pull out her hair if she had to remain in that mansion any longer.

"You want to what?"

Sookie held her head up high, not about to back down. "I would like to take Alyssa out to the park; I think the fresh air would be good for her."

Lorena laughed. "Oh, do you? And do you know just what happens to little girls in the park? They get abducted or raped; you want my daughter to be around that?"

"With all due respect, ma'am, I would never let that happen. I'll be watching her the entire time, I promise."

The dark haired woman sent a scowl in her direction. "You did not just call me ma'am, fine, take her out. See if I care, it might be nice to finally have some peace and quiet around here."

She knew that was a load of bullshit. Alyssa was always so well mannered, she never caused any problems for them, but it would really do her some good to get away from that place for a while.

* * *

Sookie smiled as she watched Alyssa playing with the other kids at the park, the first real interaction she's probably ever had with other children. It was just wrong to keep her locked away in that house, like she was someone to be ashamed of. If anything, her parents were the embarrassment.

"Hey, fancy meeting you here."

She glanced up to see Eric towering over her. He was sweaty, with his long hair pulled back in a ponytail, and wearing a white tank top. "Yeah, I finally talked the barracuda into letting me take Alyssa out for the afternoon. What about you?"

He smiled, sitting down next to her on the bench. "Just going for my daily jog, I got a later start than usual. So, which one is yours?"

Sookie felt warm inside at him calling Alyssa hers, she wished more than anything that it was true. "The brunette playing on the jungle gym, she's eight-years-old," Sookie stated without being asked her age.

"She's a cute one; it looks like she's having fun."

Sookie smiled as well. "It's just nice to see her laughing for a change, Alyssa hardly ever smiles being trapped in that house."

Eric took in a deep breath. "I have to be getting back, but I was wondering if you wouldn't mind going out with me some time? I know you have a lot on your plate, but a little distraction couldn't hurt. Perhaps Alyssa could even accompany us, I wouldn't mind."

"It was like pulling teeth just to get Lorena to agree with me taking her here. I don't think she would go for that, but I'd still be interested if you wouldn't mind going out with just me."

"No, I definitely wouldn't mind," Eric said, taking her hand in his and pressing a quick kiss to her knuckles.

He stood up just as Alyssa ran over to them, taking in the sight of the giant next to her nanny. She went to Sookie's side, trying to hide from the man.

Sookie laughed. "This is Eric; he's a friend of mine. You don't have to be afraid of him."

That gave her some confidence, enough to move away from Sookie.

Eric kneeled down to be level with her. "Hello, Alyssa, it's nice to meet you." He held his hand out, smiling when she placed her small hand in his to shake. "See, now we're friends." Before Eric could pull away, Alyssa threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. He wasn't expecting that and returned the embrace, lifting her off the ground in the process.

Sookie didn't know what to think about the display. "Okay, honey, you can let him go now. Eric has to get going, and so do we."

She did as Sookie said, releasing her arms just as Eric lowered her back to the ground.

"I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other soon," he told the girl with a wink.

Sookie took Alyssa's hand in hers, smiling at him. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's no problem; I'll call you about that date." Eric watched her smile grow wider as she walked away, hearing Alyssa's voice drift back to him.

"He was really sweaty."

Eric laughed to himself, taking off in the opposite direction. He had a date to prepare for.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Sookie gasped in shock when Bill suddenly appeared behind her in the kitchen, where she was preparing a snack for Alyssa. She moved away from him without saying anything, but he stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"What's the rush? I was hoping we could talk," he told her, putting his Southern charm on thick.

"I should get back upstairs, Alyssa is waiting for me."

He waved her off. "A few minutes won't hurt, you've been working here for several months now and I don't know much about you. For instance, is there a special man in your life? A woman as beautiful as you can't possibly be single."

Sookie gently removed her arm from his grasp. "I am, sir, but I do have a date tonight."

Bill moved closer to her. "Does he know how special you are, Sookie? Does he value all that you have to offer? If you give yourself to me, I guarantee you will know exactly how desired you are. It could be our little secret."

He was kissing her before Sookie even knew what happened. She was beyond disgusted and pushed him away, just as Mrs. Compton decided to make her presence known.

"What the hell is this? You're fucking the nanny now? You little whore!" Lorena screeched the last part to Sookie. "I knew there was something I didn't trust about you! You're just a gold digging tramp, aren't you? I want you out of this house; you'll never work in this town again if I have anything to say about it."

Sookie had enough at that point; she was tired of being nice to these people. "God, that's it! If anyone is a whore around here, it's you! Both of you are a disgrace, you know that? Newsflash, _ma'am_, I wouldn't touch your husband if he was the last man on earth. He's the one who's been making passes at me, but I bet you don't even care. You've just been looking for any excuse to get rid of me. You have a wonderful little girl that you don't even appreciate; she would probably be dead from neglect right now if it wasn't for me. I'm officially done putting up with this shit, neither of you deserve her." With those words said, she stormed out of the mansion, not looking back once. Sookie couldn't believe she lost control like that, because of her actions she would likely never get to see Alyssa again, but there was only so much a person could take before they just snapped.

* * *

"Are you okay? You've hardly said anything all night."

Sookie finally broke out of her reverie at his concerned voice. "I'm sorry, Eric, I just have a lot on my mind. I basically got fired because I talked back to the Compton's after Lorena caught Bill making a move on me; the jerk actually had the nerve to kiss me. He probably knew she would catch us, I just feel awful."

He patted her hand across the table. If Bill Compton was there right now, he would take a swing at the bastard himself. Eric didn't give a damn about who he was, the fucker should pay for the way he'd been treating Sookie. His bitch of a wife was no better; it was Alyssa that he felt sorry for. The poor girl was all alone now. "I'm sorry, love, he gives all men a bad name. Those are a fine example of the type of people who should never reproduce."

She felt tears in her eyes. "What am I going to do? I know I had every right to say what I did, but how could I just leave Alyssa like that? What if they take it out on her? As far as I know, they've never been physically abusive with her before, but I wouldn't trust them for a second. They think they can get away with anything just because they're rich. I'm not being fair to you, either, you took me to this gorgeous restaurant and I'm just a mess. I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to see me again."

Eric got up then, cupping her cheeks in his hands and touching his lips to hers in a tender caress, wiping one of her fallen tears away. "If anything, this just makes me want you even more. You're an amazing woman, Miss Stackhouse, never doubt that."

She blushed, keeping her hand in his when he sat back down. He knew just what to say to make her feel better, but her worry for Alyssa would never go away. Sookie just hoped that she was all right.

* * *

"Man, I would have given anything to tell those two off. I wish I could have seen their faces."

Sookie rolled her eyes. "That's not the point, Ames, whether they deserved it or not. My Gran raised me better than that."

"Your Gran also raised you to stand up for yourself, and that's what you did. I know you feel guilty over Alyssa, but those douchebags had it coming," Amelia claimed.

"I just wish I knew if she was okay," Sookie replied.

Amelia was about to respond, but a news bulletin on the television had her reaching for the remote to turn the volume up. Her eyes widened along with Sookie's as the reporter talked about a fatal car accident involving Bill and Lorena Compton that left no survivors.

"Oh my God, was Alyssa with them?" Sookie wondered, tears clouding her vision.

Amelia grabbed her friend's arm. "Calm down, Sook, there was no mention of Alyssa. You said yourself that they usually never take her with them when they're out on the town."

"I have to find her," she said, still in a state of shock. Sookie ran out of the house before Amelia could stop her and all the way to the Compton estate, only to find two police cars out front. "What's going on? Where's Alyssa?" One of the officers blocked her from going inside the house; she tried to keep her temper in check.

"I'm sorry, Miss, you can't be here."

"I heard about Mr. and Mrs. Compton on the news; they have an eight-year-old daughter. I just need to know if she's okay, I used to be her nanny," Sookie explained as best she could.

He nodded. "We are aware of the girl; she was taken to the station. That's all I can tell you."

Sookie nodded as well and headed back across the cemetery to get her car, she needed to see for herself that Alyssa was unharmed.

* * *

"I'm here to see Alyssa," Sookie stated as soon as she got to the police station.

"Miss Stackhouse, this really isn't the best time," Andy Bellefleur told her.

She was starting to lose what little patience she had left. "Is Alyssa Compton here or not? I need to know what's going to happen to her."

Andy let out a frustrated sigh. "Yes, she's here, she hasn't spoken to anyone since she got picked up. There is no next of kin and the Compton's weren't smart enough to have wills drawn up, I'm afraid she'll have to be put in the foster care system."

"What? No, there has to be some other way. There's no guarantee that she'll be put in a good home, and she's already had to grow up with a shitty life. I won't let her go through that again."

"And what do you suppose we do?" he asked, clearly agitated.

Sookie's eyes lit up when a thought occurred to her. "I'll take her. This is really the best solution. She already knows me; I've been her nanny for almost seven months. Please, you can't send her away to live with strangers."

Andy rubbed his temples. "There's a social worker in with her now, you'll have to take this up with him. That's not in my job description."

Sookie nodded and headed to the room that Alyssa was in, stopping in her tracks at the man who was sitting in there with her. "Alcide? You're the social worker?"

He looked up with a start, seeming just as shocked. "Sookie Stackhouse? Well, isn't this a nice surprise?"

Not exactly the way she would put it, her ex-boyfriend was the one to determine if she would get to keep Alyssa or not. Could this day possibly be any worse?


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Are you sure this is something you can handle? I know you think this is finally a chance for you to have a kid, but being a parent is a lot more responsibility than just a nanny."

Sookie clenched her fists at her side, keeping an eye on Alyssa in the next room once Alcide pulled her out of there. "This isn't just about finally having a kid; this is about who she is. Do you think I would make this decision for just anyone? I know what I'm doing, Alcide, I'm all she has right now."

He nodded. "I understand that, but a child deserves to have a mother and a father."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you have any idea how horrible her parents were? Sometimes children grow up just fine with only one parent, or in my case, neither. I'm really happy you now have a wife and two little girls that you love, but not every child is lucky enough to have that. In just mere hours, she's had everything taken away from her. I'll be damned if I'm going to abandon her, too."

Alcide admitted defeat, letting out a breath. "Fine, let's just see what Alyssa wants, maybe you can get her to talk. I'm one who believes children have a right to think for themselves, they shouldn't be forced into something they don't want."

Sookie sighed in relief, heading back into the other room where Alyssa was still waiting. As soon as she walked in, the little girl looked up at her with tears in her eyes.

"I wanna stay with Sookie!" Alyssa exclaimed, jumping up from her seat and wrapping her arms around Sookie's legs.

She kneeled down to hug the girl fully, feeling tears of her own when she returned the embrace. Sookie gazed up at Alcide, running her fingers through Alyssa's long locks. "What more do you need?"

Alcide agreed, seeing that taking the child away from Sookie would not be the best idea. "We'll give this a trial run; see how everything works out while she's with you. I will be making a visit at least once a week to check on your progress. If you would still like to adopt her after the right amount of time, I can arrange that, but you need to be sure first that this is something you really want."

Sookie stood back up, keeping Alyssa's hand in hers. "That's not an issue; I won't be changing my mind."

* * *

"This is my Gran's farm house; it was given to me after she passed away. I've always wanted to bring you here."

Alyssa took a look around, feeling more at home than she ever did at the mansion. That may have been her home for as long as she could remember, but being there always terrified her. "Mommy and Daddy were really mad after you left, I heard them yelling from my room. I went to hide in the tent; Mommy came in and pulled me out. I screamed and cried, but she shook me and told me to shut up. She said you wouldn't be coming back, when that made me cry harder, she smacked me. Daddy yelled at her for it, they kept screaming at each other until they left the house. They never came back, the police man showed up and I was so scared. I asked for you, but no one would let me go to you."

Sookie took the sobbing child in her arms, rocking her back and forth. "It's okay now, sweetie, everything is going to be okay. I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere, no one will ever hurt you again." She felt such rage go through her at the thought of Lorena hitting Alyssa, it may make her an awful person to think such things, but she was very relieved they were both dead. Sookie pulled back to look at her, wiping the tears away with her thumb. "We're in this together, all right? It's just you and me; do you want me to adopt you?"

She nodded. "I want you to be my mommy."

That had Sookie crying right along with her; it was something she'd always wanted. "I would be honored to be your mother."

* * *

"Wow, I can't believe how much has changed since we last talked. How are you dealing with all of this?"

Sookie shrugged. "As well as could be expected, I'm not sorry they're gone, but I'm sorry that Alyssa has to go through this."

"If you ask me, she's better off with you," Eric explained. "You will finally give her the childhood she deserves."

That brought a small smile to Sookie's face. "Yeah, I'm getting her signed up for elementary school. She's really excited about it. Since the Compton's didn't have wills drawn up, all of their money and prized possessions are going to local charities. I refused to take any of it; I can manage Alyssa just fine without their money. I have plenty saved up that my Gran left me after she died."

He smiled. "That's great, in case there are ever any future children to enter the picture."

Her smile faded at that. Sookie liked Eric a lot, she could see herself becoming really serious about him, but before things went any further, she would have to let him know exactly what he would be getting into. "Are kids something you want?"

"I've never thought about it before, but I've always loved children. I have three younger sisters and two brothers, there always seems to be babies in my family. I could see myself having kids of my own some day."

Sookie was afraid of that. She took his hand and led him over to the couch, pulling him down next to her. Alyssa was taking a nap upstairs, so they would have some privacy. "There's something I have to tell you, and I don't really know how to do it. Alcide, the social worker I told you about, he's actually my ex-boyfriend. That's a long story I'd rather not get into, but the short version is that he broke up with me because I'm not able to have children. He got angry at me for waiting until we were almost a year into the relationship before I told him, that's why I'm telling you now. We've only had one date, so if you wanted to walk away, I would completely understand. It's not like you've gotten too attached yet."

Eric gave her words some consideration, taking her hand in his. "I'm sorry he left you like that, but I'm not about to do the same. Yes, I may want kids, but I don't need them to be biological for me to be happy. Just look at what you've done for Alyssa, there are so many children every day who need to be adopted. I know we haven't known each other that long, but I'm already very attached. I couldn't walk away now even if I wanted to."

She wiped a tear from her eye. "Do you mean that? Because it would break my heart if you changed your mind somewhere down the road, I've been to several doctors and they've all told me that it would never be possible for me to have a child. You need to give this some more thought before just deciding that it's something you can live with."

He kissed her then, no more words needed to be said. Eric pulled away when breathing became an issue, touching his forehead to hers. "I'm in this for the long haul, Sookie Stackhouse."

Sookie smiled, she could definitely live with that.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Okay, everything looks good. Alyssa seems happy here."

Sookie raised her eyebrows. "Did you doubt she would be?"

Alcide held his hands up in surrender. "Of course not, I was just making an observation."

She decided to let it go, looking out the window to see Eric playing with Alyssa in the yard. In just a few short weeks, he had come to love that little girl just as much as she did. It should have scared her how close they were getting, but watching them together always made her heart jump.

"I see you found yourself a decent man, he's good with her."

"Yes, and she adores him. Before you say anything, I already told Eric that I can't have kids. I wasn't about to make the same mistake twice," Sookie claimed.

He sighed. "I'm sorry for how things ended with us. I just wanted children more than anything, but I shouldn't have left the way I did. Not a day goes by that I don't regret my actions, but if that never happened, I wouldn't have the family I have now and I'm grateful for them every day. Besides, it looks like things are working out well for you."

Sookie turned back to him. "I don't hold a grudge, Alcide. If we stayed together, there's no guarantee that we ever would have made it in the long run. We both have lives that we're happy about now, there's no point dwelling in the past. I've already made up my mind about adopting Alyssa, and maybe after more time has passed; I'll even consider adopting a second child. As much as I would love to have one of my own, this still feels just as great."

Alcide nodded. "All right, I'll draw up the paperwork."

Eric came in then with Alyssa clinging to his back; he loved giving her piggy back rides. "I may be getting too old for this."

Sookie laughed, knowing he wasn't being serious. "You're only thirty-two; I think you have a few years left in you."

He ignored her teasing, putting Alyssa down as she ran off to the living room. "Is everything okay in here?"

"I was just getting the necessary papers for Sookie to sign to finalize this adoption," Alcide explained. "I still have to make scheduled visits for another month or so, but after that, you should be fine on your own. I have no doubts that Alyssa is in very good hands."

Sookie smiled at that, even more so when Eric wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. She couldn't believe that with just a few signatures, Alyssa would officially be hers. As much as she hated taking anything from the Compton's, Sookie decided it would be best to set up a trust fund for Alyssa's future after speaking with a lawyer. Whether they drew up a will or not, everything would just automatically be left to their daughter. As for the Compton estate, it was going on sell because she had a feeling the girl would never care to set foot in there again.

* * *

She gasped into his mouth, throwing her head back as his lips made a path down her neck, his hand slipping under her shirt to cup one of her unclothed breasts.

"Is this too much?" Eric whispered.

Sookie shook her head. "No, but it probably shouldn't go any further than that. Alyssa has a habit of waking up in the middle of the night and sneaking in here, she's still having a hard time sleeping."

He nodded in understanding, moving to lie beside her. "How is she doing at school?"

Sookie smiled. "Really good, I know it's only been a week, but she's already made some friends. Her teacher even talked to me about having Alyssa skip a grade since she's already ahead of the other students, but I wouldn't want her to feel like an outcast or anything. Right now, I believe it's best that she sticks with kids her own age. I'll talk about it with her and if it's something she wants, I'll consider it. Until then, I think she's fine where she is."

A soft knock sounded on the door and Alyssa opened it a second later, rubbing her tired eyes. "Can I sleep in here again?"

Sookie nodded, patting the spot next to her where Alyssa jumped up and made herself comfortable.

"I guess I should get going now," Eric said, but the little girl wrapped her arms around him before he could leave.

"Don't go, I need you to keep the bad dreams away."

He could deny her nothing at this point; instead he got himself more situated, guiding her head to his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair. "Close your eyes; I'll slay all those nightmares for you."

Alyssa did as he said; she was fast asleep minutes later.

Sookie lay back down; watching Eric with Alyssa was always such a beautiful sight. He was a natural at this, but she supposed it had to do with having younger siblings. Sookie only had one older brother, but they were never very close. As soon as Jason turned eighteen, he took off for God knew where; Sookie hadn't even seen him in several years. They talked every now and then on the phone, but it was never enough. He didn't even bother to show up to Gran's funeral, which hurt more than anything else he could have done.

* * *

Amelia shook her head when she walked in Merlotte's; taking a seat at the booth Sookie was cleaning off.

"Don't give me that look," the blonde said.

"I just never expected to see you working here again."

Sookie let out a breath. "What do you want me to do, Ames? I needed to get another job, and I knew Sam was short a waitress."

"You're also aware that he can never seem to say no to you, I bet all you had to do was bat your eyelashes and he caved like a puppy."

She was insulted now. "I have you know I was very professional. Sam is just a friend."

Amelia nodded. "Right, but I thought Eric offered to give you a job at his bar, isn't that what you told me?"

Sookie nodded as well. "He did, but since we're dating now, it would have felt too weird to be working for him. I already know I can handle this place. I'm only taking the day shift when Alyssa is at school, that way my nights are free to spend with her. I'm not about to hire a babysitter."

"You know, I could always watch her for you. I bet you and Eric would love to have some alone time."

Sookie blushed, sitting down across from her. "We're not ready for that yet, it's only been two months since we first started going out. This one is really special; I want to take my time with him. We don't have to rush anything."

Amelia shrugged. "I don't see why you're waiting, it's not like you could get knocked up." She clapped a hand over her mouth; sometimes hating the fact she had no filter. "I'm sorry, Sook, I didn't mean that."

She tried to hide the hurt her friend's words caused, but it was a losing battle. "I know you didn't, but I'm okay with it. I've accepted the fact I can't have kids, and Eric is still willing to be with me. I don't really have any reason to feel sorry for myself. I also have Alyssa now; she's more than I ever could have asked for."

"Is this a bad time to mention Tara's baby shower next weekend? You said you were going, right?"

Sookie nodded again. "Yes, I'm going, and I plan to bring an awesome present. Really, I'm fine; I can handle a baby shower. I've handled it for all my other pregnant friends, this will be no different. I should get back to work. I have another hour before I have to pick Alyssa up."

Amelia watched Sookie head back to the kitchen, wondering if her friend was really okay.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Isn't this just the cutest thing you've ever seen? I still can't believe me of all people is having twins. I didn't even want one, and now I'm gonna have two, but I've honestly never been happier. I'm hoping for a boy and a girl, but James wants two boys. The idea of having a girl terrifies him, it's pretty amusing."

Sookie just nodded along, a small smile gracing her features as she listened to her best friend of ten years go on and on. Her baby shower just came to an end, and Sookie was helping her load all of the presents into their new nursery.

"Sorry, am I talking about this too much?" Tara wondered.

Sookie shook her head. "No, I'm very happy for you. I know you haven't had the best life growing up, but these babies couldn't find a better mother."

Tara's eyes teared up, giving Sookie a hug as best she could with a bulging belly in the way. "Don't you go making me cry, Stackhouse, you know my emotions are all out of whack." She pulled out of the embrace. "Okay, a subject change is in order, how are things going with that Viking of yours?"

Sookie blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's going really well, he actually offered to watch Alyssa for me today. Their close bond is amazing; I've never known her to be this comfortable with anyone before. I'm just really scared. He says he's fine with not having kids, but what if he changes his mind and decides he wants someone who can give him everything I can't? It's not just me I have to worry about now; Alyssa has already gotten so attached. If it was just me, I could probably deal. I've had my share of bad break ups, but after everything she's been through, it would break her heart if someone else left her."

Tara patted her friend on the back. "I don't think you have to worry about that. I don't know Eric all that well, but from what I have seen, he is very devoted to the both of you. I think he'd rather die than leave either of you. In fact, death would most likely be the only way he'd leave. And this conversation just took a very depressing turn, but you get what I'm saying."

She smiled. "Yeah, he even offered to give ownership of the bar over to his partner because it takes away too much of his time that he'd rather spend with us, but I could never have him do that. He's worked so hard for years to have his own business, even though he says money is not an issue, I know how much he loves it."

"That's the bar he owns with Pam, right? I've only met her a couple of times, but I'd be real worried if my man was working with someone who looks like her. Not that you should have any reason to worry, of course."

"I don't, Eric is fortunately not her type. Pam's only interested in women, she and Amelia went out once, but I refused to let her tell me any of the details. There are just some things I don't care to know," Sookie explained.

Tara laughed. "Now, that makes more sense. Thanks again for helping me today, I know you would have probably rather done anything else."

She gave her friend another hug before grabbing her purse and walking to the front door. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Take it easy, we'll talk later." Sookie let out a relieved sigh when she left the house, making her way over to her car and heading for home.

* * *

Sookie entered her house to find the most gorgeous sight waiting for her, Eric was asleep on the couch with Alyssa cuddled at his side, also sound asleep. She would have grabbed the camera if she didn't think it would disturb them. Before she even knew what happened, tears were forming in her eyes and there was no stopping it.

That's how Eric found her when he finally woke up, concerned at what could have upset her, but Sookie just shook her head. "Stay there, I'll put her to bed." She went to take Alyssa from him, carefully carrying her up the stairs and gently placing her down in bed, covering her up without so much as a peep from her. Sookie went back downstairs, wiping her eyes of the remaining tears and taking a seat next to him.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded, taking in a deep breath. "It's just been a very emotional day, but I'll be fine. You could stay here tonight if you want."

Eric nodded as well. "I would like that."

Sookie stopped him from getting up, instead pushing him back down on the couch and lying at his side, her head resting on his chest. "I'm more comfortable here," she whispered, her eyelids starting to get heavy.

He wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. Within minutes, they were both fast asleep.

* * *

Sookie smiled in the doorway as she watched Alyssa drawing a picture in her room, moving closer to get a better look at it. She could make out two people, with a little girl in between them, along with a little boy that confused Sookie. They looked like a cute family.

"What is that a picture of?" she finally asked.

Alyssa looked up at her, as if it should be obvious. "That's me with you and Eric, we're at the playground."

Sookie nodded, having a feeling about that part. "Who is the little boy?"

She shrugged. "I've always wanted a brother."

Sookie sat down, not sure what to think about that. She didn't know what to say, but Alyssa wasn't finished.

"I heard Mommy and Daddy talking once. Mommy thought she was gonna have another baby, but Daddy said it wasn't a good idea. That he didn't wanna take care of another mistake. Was that me?"

She shook her head, taking the child in her arms. "You could never be a mistake, but you really captured Eric very well," Sookie claimed, trying to change the subject. "You really like him, don't you?"

Alyssa glanced back up at her, with big brown eyes that were full of unshed tears. "I love him," was her soft reply.

Sookie felt tears in her own eyes, nodding after a moment. "You're not alone in that."


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm still so pissed at the season 6 finale of **_**True Blood**_**; I'm tired of getting screwed over by these writers. Most of us in here could do ten times better. That had to be the worst episode of the entire series; I'm just done with this show. I know Eric will be back next season, but it's just not enough to have me tune in anymore. I'll just have to watch his scenes online, it does seem like fan fiction is truly all we'll have. Sorry for the rant, this story will be coming to an end soon. There wasn't much I could do with it.**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

"Alyssa is so excited that she has her first sleepover, one of the girl's in class invited her."

Eric smiled. "That's good, I'm glad everything is going well for her. Have you discussed about her moving up a grade?"

Sookie nodded. "I mentioned it to her briefly, but she likes where she is. I'm not about to do anything to change that, I only want her to be happy. I was so worried that she would hate it here at first. I'm not loaded like the Compton's were, there was so much they could give her that I can't, but she really seems to love it here."

"That's because you actually care for her. The Compton's only had money and material things, that's not what a child needs. You have given her more love than she's probably ever known before, that's priceless."

She smiled at that, kissing his lips sweetly. "The sleepover is this weekend if you wanted to come by, we would have the place all to ourselves. Just a suggestion, there's no pressure."

He grinned, giving her a kiss of his own. "That works for me."

* * *

"So, are you guys finally gonna do it?"

Sookie glared at her friend, a blush tinting her cheeks when Sam walked by, obviously having heard her question. "Could we not talk about that here? I'm not off the clock yet."

Amelia waved her hand in the air. "You're just trying to get out of answering me, this place is practically empty."

Sookie let out a sigh. "I haven't decided yet, we'll just see where things go."

"I honestly don't know how you haven't banged him yet. If I had a guy like that, I'd be jumping his bones any chance I get."

"That's the difference between us, I don't screw everything that moves," Sookie responded.

Amelia crossed her arms over her chest. "Hey, I have my limits; it's not like I'm some sex craved animal."

Sookie raised her eyebrows. "How's Pam lately? If I recall, when you guys first met at Eric's bar, you ended up fooling around in the storage closet."

"Okay, but that was only one time, we've strictly kept things platonic since then." She rolled her eyes when it looked like Sookie wasn't buying it. "Fine, it may have happened more than once, but this isn't just about sex. I really like her; it could actually turn into something real."

"I'm glad for that, but I don't need sex to know what I have with Eric is already real."

Amelia gave her words some thought. "What's that like?"

Sookie rolled her eyes now, but there was a hint of a smile on her face as she got back to work.

* * *

Once she dropped Alyssa off at her friend's house, Sookie set her plan in motion. She didn't know if Eric was expecting anything to happen between them that night, but she wanted the place to look nice just in case he did. She lit candles all around the house, soft music playing in the background. When she reached her bedroom, she scrunched up her nose at the strong scent of lavender. The rose petals on the bed were definitely overkill; Sookie swept them to the floor, not knowing what else to do. She took in the display before her and realized that she was getting too worked up over this. Sure, it had been a long while since she was intimate with a man, but it couldn't have changed that much.

The door opening downstairs ripped her out of her reverie, it was too late to change things now, but she may come to regret giving him a key.

"Sookie?" he called, coming up the stairs. "You know that's a fire hazard down there," Eric commented with a grin when he reached her doorway, which quickly faded at the sight of her wearing skimpy lingerie. "And it just got hotter, what is all this? I told you that we didn't have to rush anything if you weren't ready. You didn't have to go through so much trouble."

She took in a deep breath. "I know I may have gone overboard, but I just wanted everything to be special tonight. I think I'm ready."

Eric stepped closer to her. "Thinking isn't the same as actually being ready, for instance, you're shaking like a leaf."

Sookie gave out a humorless laugh, sitting on her bed. "This is ridiculous; I'm behaving like some insecure virgin. I'm not usually like this, Eric, it's just you're not like anyone I've been with before. I'm worried that I won't be good enough and you'll want someone better with more experience, I've only ever been with two guys in my life. The last one was almost three years ago, but for some reason, this feels like my first time." Her eyes widened at that. "God, that was so lame, just shoot me now," she groaned, burying her face in her hands.

Eric chuckled, sitting down beside her and removing her hands in the process. "Do you have any idea how adorable you are? If anything, that little speech just makes me want you more. I promise, dear one, you have nothing to worry about. I'm not looking to ever replace you, this is it for me. I know we've only been together for a few months, but I believe that more than anything. Yes, I've had my share of women, but I don't have nearly as much experience as you may think. This isn't something I tend to broadcast, but I didn't even lose my virginity until I was twenty-five."

She glanced up at him, clearly in shock. "Seriously? How is that possible? Have you seen you?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "Believe it or not, I haven't always looked like this. It took a long time for me to get any confidence in myself. I told you before that I was in this for the long haul, nothing has ever been more true to me. I couldn't see myself committing to any of those other women, but with you, I see an entire future. We really don't have to rush this, I'm not going anywhere."

Sookie knew that she was completely ready, now more than ever. A guy like this didn't come around every day, she wouldn't waste any of the time they had together. With that thought in mind, she pressed her lips to his. There would be no going back now.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Sookie found herself flat on her back a second later, Eric laying on top and currently kissing the breath out of her. She was confused when he suddenly moved away; licking her lips when he took his shirt off, throwing it to the floor and meeting her mouth once again.

"Is this too much?" Eric whispered when breathing became an issue, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

She shook her head. "No, but I'm feeling a bit overdressed." Oddly, since she was wearing practically nothing.

He grinned. "I can take care of that. Is this something you're very fond of?"

Sookie raised her eyebrows, realizing that he was referring to her negligee. "Hardly, I have about three more like it." She gasped when her lingerie was ripped clean off, glaring at the man before her who didn't seem at all apologetic. "A little warning would have been nice."

Eric shrugged. "I thought it was pretty obvious what I planned to do." He took in the sight of her, completely bare since she didn't bother to wear anything underneath. "You are so beautiful."

She blushed now, grabbing the back of his head and smashing her lips to his in a passionate embrace.

Eric broke away to smother kisses all along her neck, licking the salt from her skin. He moved down to suckle her pert breasts, and then lowered his head to her flat stomach. He kissed every inch of her body that he could, Eric knew she was enjoying it if her soft moans and the tugging of his hair was anything to go by. But when he reached her pussy, he felt her tense up, pulling away to look at her in concern. "Is this okay?"

Sookie glanced away from his intense stare, feeling shy all of a sudden. "I've never really done that before. I know it's not something most guys probably like."

He smiled. "Trust me, I like it very much. If you feel uncomfortable, just let me know and we'll stop."

Sookie agreed, taking in a deep breath as he moved back down to her womanhood, blowing on her sensitive area before shoving two fingers inside. She arched her back, taking his fingers further in, feeling that a third one soon followed.

"You're really tight, lover; I want this to be as painless for you as possible."

"I told you that I wasn't a virgin," she replied.

He nodded. "I know, but it has still been a while. I'm not trying to brag, but I have been told that I am bigger than most. I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't hurt me, Eric; I can handle whatever you're willing to give. I'm not some innocent little girl; you don't need to hold back with me."

"All right, but if you feel any pain at all, you will let me know," he told her.

"Dually noted, now get back in there."

Eric chuckled. "A little eager, are we?"

She glared at him. "It's been almost three years; I just hope my virginity didn't actually grow back."

He laughed that time, shaking his head. "I don't know if that's really possible."

Before Sookie could respond, she felt Eric's fingers leave her body, only to be replaced by his tongue. "Holy fuck!" she yelled, not really one for cursing, but Sookie had no idea it would feel that good. Note to self, she was definitely a believer of oral sex from now on.

Eric was pleased by her reaction; he flicked her clit with his tongue, pushing it inside as far as it could go. He collected every bit of juice that gushed out of her; nothing had ever tasted so sweet before. He knew she was close when she tensed up and came hard in his mouth, making sure to drink every drop down. Eric wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, seeing the look of pure bliss plastered on her face. "Was it good for you, lover?"

Sookie finally spoke once she got her breathing under control. "Okay, you are so doing that again."

"There's plenty more where that came from," he said, removing the last of his clothes in the process.

Her eyes widened when she got a good look at him in all his glory. "Wow, you really weren't kidding. Is that even going to fit in me?"

Eric smiled at her innocence, even though she claimed not to be. "It will fit just fine, but does that mean I am actually bigger than Alcide? He's at least an inch taller than me."

The last thing she wanted to think about was her ex in that moment. "Taller, yes, but the package wasn't very impressive. Way to kill the mood, though."

"I'm sorry, dear one; I guarantee it won't take much to get you back in the mood."

Sookie let out a squeal when he pounced, laughing as he attacked her breasts and mouth with kisses. She felt completely smothered when Alcide was on top of her, but Eric just felt safe. Right, no thinking about the ex, only about the gorgeous man she was about to make love with.

Eric positioned himself over her, brushing the hair out of her face. "Are you sure about this, Sookie? There's no going back."

She couldn't believe he was still giving her an out if she wasn't ready, but that just made the decision easier. "I want you, no regrets."

With those words said, Eric slowly pushed his cock inside her, catching her moan with his mouth. He pulled his lips away to take a breath, burying his head against her neck as he made his thrusts faster. He could feel Sookie clutching his shoulders and digging her nails in, but that just turned him on all the more.

"Oh, God, harder, don't stop."

Stopping was the last thing he had in mind, but he was happy to oblige with her request. He pumped his cock a few more times, feeling that she was close. He always liked the woman to come first, so he slid his thumb into her wet folds to bring her even closer to orgasm. She cried out her release a moment later, Eric following right behind her. He lay there for a while trying to catch his breath, but then moved to the side as to not crush her. He looked over at Sookie, seeing that her eyes were closed, a soft smile gracing her features.

No words needed to be said; she reached over to grab his hand, giving it a light squeeze, blue eyes opening to stare right into his and he was a man lost. This woman was beautiful both inside and out, she had one of the biggest hearts he'd ever known. He only had to see her with Alyssa to know that. Eric never believed in soul mates before, but there was no doubt in his mind that she was definitely meant for him. With a soft smile on his face, he drifted off to a peaceful sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Knock knock, is it okay to come in?"

Tara gazed up at the blonde, exhaustion clearly written all over her face. "Of course, you have to see the babies, they're so perfect. Two little boys, just like James wanted."

Sookie smiled as she sat by her friend's hospital bed, staring at the sleeping infants in the bassinet. "Are you upset that you didn't get a girl?"

She shook her head. "Once I saw them, it's like nothing else in the world even existed. I couldn't be happier."

Sookie nodded. "Where is James?"

Tara rolled her eyes. "He was ordered to eat something since he fainted during the labor, I'm sure he'll be back soon."

Sookie noticed one of the twins start to get fussy, not sure what to do.

"Hand him to me, we're working on breastfeeding."

Sookie took the now crying infant out of the bassinet and handed him over to Tara, the other one screaming his head off next.

"You can hold him if you want," Tara told her.

Sookie took in a deep breath before she picked the baby up, cradling him in her arms. She smiled when he started to calm down, gently rocking him back and forth. "What are their names?" she wondered, not even bothering to look away.

"This is Jacob, and the one you have is Thomas. We each got to pick out a name."

Sookie felt herself tear up as she stared down at his little face, he really was perfect, but Tara wasn't finished.

"I have to tell you, I know having them is a true blessing, but that's not something I want to experience again any time soon. It was the worst pain I've ever felt, you're so lucky you'll never have to go through it." She caught what she said, shutting her eyes in stupidity. "I'm sorry, Sook, that was callous of me."

Sookie rolled her eyes now, placing the baby back in the bassinet. "You're just as bad as Amelia; you guys don't have to coddle me. I'm a big girl now; I'm not going to suddenly have a breakdown at just the mention of babies. I've known since I was sixteen that children aren't in the cards, it sucks, but I've more than accepted it. Besides, for all we know, I would have made a horrible mother."

"You know that's not true, but I'm still sorry. If it helps, you can babysit mine whenever you want. James and I haven't had a date night in what feels like forever."

She gave her friend a small smile. "I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

Sookie felt awful when she made her way into the school, finding Eric waiting outside the principal's office.

"What happened? My stupid phone died and I only just now got your voicemail, is she okay?"

Eric ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, I guess they called me when they couldn't get through to you. Alyssa got into a fight."

Sookie's eyes widened. "That can't be right; she's the gentlest kid ever."

"You can go in there and talk to the principal if you want. I told her I would wait out here for you, but I couldn't get much from Alyssa about what happened."

Sookie marched into the office, seeing Alyssa sitting in one of the chairs with her head down. Her manners were still intact, so she placed a smile on her face as she addressed the older woman behind the desk. "Hello, Mrs. Barton, it's nice to see you again. What seems to be the problem here?"

"Same to you, Miss Stackhouse, could we speak in private?"

She nodded, glancing back at Eric. "Can you take Alyssa to my car? I'll be out soon."

He nodded as well, grabbing the child's hand and heading out of the office, the door closing behind them.

"Okay, please tell me she didn't actually get into a fight? That just doesn't sound like Alyssa; she's been doing really well here."

Mrs. Barton agreed. "She has, her grades are very good. You have a bright girl on your hands, but from what I gathered, she's been having some difficulty with one of the older girls. She's a fifth grader; the most I could get out of Alyssa was that the girl called her names and shoved her, which had Alyssa shoving her back. That's when one of the teachers caught them and brought it to my attention."

Sookie clenched her fists at her side. "And just where is this other girl?"

"She has already been picked up by her parents. I don't tolerate violence of any kind at my school, so she will be getting a week's worth of detention. Unfortunately, I have to do the same for Alyssa."

"But that bully is the one who started it," Sookie retorted. "Alyssa never would have laid a finger on her otherwise."

"I believe that, but we still have strict rules here. I'm sorry about this, I know things haven't been easy for her lately, but maybe it would help if she talked with the school counselor. I fear if she just keeps everything bottled up like this, there's no telling what might happen next time."

Sookie shook her head. "She doesn't need a counselor; Alyssa has me to talk to. Nothing like this will ever happen again, I assure you."

Mrs. Barton nodded. "I really hope it doesn't."

Sookie left the school, heading over to her car in distress. That woman didn't know what she was talking about.

* * *

"Has she said anything to you?"

Eric let out a sigh. "No, she just keeps drawing in that notebook. Maybe having her talk to a counselor isn't such a bad idea; they're trained to deal with things like this."

Sookie refused to believe that was the only option. "She's fine, Eric, things have been really great these last few months. Some bratty kid just decided to cause problems, that's all it was. You know she never would have started a fight."

"I do, but it doesn't hurt to get another opinion. We're too close to her; we wouldn't be able to think objectively. I love you, and I love Alyssa, it pains me to see either of you hurting. I only want what's best for her, just like you do."

Sookie gazed up at him in astonishment. "You love me?"

He blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I thought you knew that."

"You've never said it before."

Eric took her hands in his, pressing a sweet kiss to her lips and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I love you, Sookie Stackhouse."

She felt tears in her eyes now. "I love you, too."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Do you want to tell me what happened now?"

Alyssa lowered her head, not knowing what to say.

Sookie sat down beside her on the bed, taking the girl's tiny hand in hers. "I'm not mad at you, sweetie, I'm just trying to understand."

She glanced back up then, tears forming in her eyes. "Stacy was mean to me; she said my mommy and daddy went away because they were bad people. God always punished the bad, and I would join them because I was tainted."

Sookie tried to keep her temper in check. "She told you that? Well, she's wrong, I don't know how that girl was raised, but she doesn't know anything about you. I don't want you to listen to anything else she says, okay? If she tries to bother you again, I want you to just take the higher ground and walk away, fighting is never the answer."

Alyssa nodded, but remained silent.

Sookie headed out of the room, closing the door softly behind her, only to bump into Eric who was listening to their whole exchange. She motioned for him to follow her downstairs, taking a deep breath to try and control her emotions. "Stacy Newlin, I bet anything that's the little tyrant who's been causing trouble for Alyssa. I'm a good Christian woman as much as the next person, but her parents are the biggest religious freaks I've ever known. Sex before marriage is a sin to them, I just know they've been filling their daughter's head with all kinds of garbage and she's taking it out on Alyssa. Sarah Newlin nearly spat on me at the supermarket once because I was caught fooling around with Alcide in the parking lot, her husband is the most prominent reverend in town. They're the reason I stopped going to church, even though I know my Gran would frown at such a thought, but I couldn't listen to their bullshit anymore."

Eric agreed, running his fingers through his hair. "I've met Sarah; she pinched my ass once when I was at the gym. I'm sure her husband would also consider that a sin, but I believe she's just putting on an act for him."

"I don't even think Steve Newlin is straight, I could have sworn I caught him checking out Jason before. Those two are so full of it, I have a strong urge to march over to their house and give them a piece of my mind. No one messes with my kid."

He smiled, pulling her into his arms. "I love when you get all forceful and protective like that, it shows what an amazing woman you are."

She let out a breath, relaxing in his embrace. "I just feel so helpless sometimes. For the rest of Alyssa's life, she's going to probably have to deal with derogatory comments from everyone in town about her heartless parents. I don't want people to think she's anything like them, she shouldn't have to pay for their mistakes."

"It won't be that way forever, dear one," Eric told her. "The Compton's have only been dead for three months now, it will take a while for everyone to stop talking about them, but it will blow over. We just have to do the best we can for Alyssa, never let her doubt that she belongs here."

Sookie rested her head against his chest, sighing when he wrapped his strong arms around her. "You always know just what to say. I would be completely lost right now if it wasn't for you."

Eric kissed the top of her head. "I'm sure you would have been fine, but I wouldn't be anywhere else. This is it for me, Sookie."

She smiled in return, gazing up into his blue eyes. "I can live with that."

* * *

Sookie entered the building, her purse slung over her shoulder as she smiled at the woman who greeted her.

"Miss Stackhouse, it's a pleasure to meet you."

She shook her hand. "Same to you, Mrs. Lasure."

The dark haired woman sat back down at her desk. "Please, call me Elizabeth. Will your husband be joining us?"

That caught Sookie off guard. "No, I'm not married, but I haven't discussed this with my boyfriend yet. My friend recommended you, Alcide Herveaux; he said you were the one to talk to about adoption."

Elizabeth nodded. "Of course, are you looking for any child in particular? We have all ages here, male and female, but I do prefer both of the parents to be present. You not being married could cause a problem; it's not that I don't accept single parents if they are qualified, but I need to know for a fact this is a decision both you and your partner are willing to make together before I show you our list. Perhaps you should talk it over with him first, and then come back when you're ready. I'm not trying to be difficult, Miss Stackhouse, but I just want the best care we can find for these children."

Sookie agreed, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I completely understand that. Adoption is something I've always wanted to do, ever since I found out that I'm not able to have children of my own. I recently took in a young girl who lost both of her parents, she means everything to me, but I know how much she wants a sibling. I know more than anything that I'm ready to give another child the same care I've given her. I've only been with my boyfriend for a few months now. I don't know if he's in the same place as I am yet, but even if I had to do it alone, I guarantee this child will be very well loved."

"Alcide has told me of your situation, I have no doubt in my mind that you're a nice person. I will look closer at your file and get back to you in a few days, but I really do suggest that you discuss this with your significant other. It's not a decision you should be making alone."

She nodded and left the building, wondering if this was something Eric would want or not. Sookie loved him with all her heart, it almost scared her how fast he's come to mean to her, but she didn't know if he was ready to take on another child. It had been weeks since the incident with Alyssa at school, things were starting to look up again. After much prodding from Eric, Alyssa began seeing the school counselor at least twice a week and it seemed to work wonders with her. Sookie just had to talk with Eric and hope for the best.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Are you sure about this?"

Eric smiled, taking her hand in his and giving it a light squeeze. "We talked about this weeks ago; I won't be changing my mind. We're in this together."

Sookie exhaled a breath when Elizabeth came back out, a small bundle in her arms.

"This is Nathanial," she said, handing the infant over to Sookie. "He was abandoned here several months ago, with nothing but a note left behind. The mother was young and couldn't care for him properly; she wanted him to find a decent home."

Sookie gazed down at his little face, feeling tears in her eyes. He was so beautiful. "Hey, baby, you don't have to worry anymore. I'm going to take real good care of you. We both are," she claimed, looking up at Eric beside her.

Elizabeth smiled at the happy couple, noticing the sparkling jewel on Sookie's finger. "I guess congratulations are in order."

She blushed, nuzzling the baby's cheek and thinking back to one of the most important moments of her life.

* * *

_Sookie cried out as Eric pounded into her, the bed post banging against the wall. _

"_Come for me, lover, I can feel how close you are."_

_She knew they needed to have an important conversation, but as soon as she came home and saw him working in her yard completely shirtless, that just went right out the window. "Fuck, Eric, I won't last much longer."_

_He grinned. "That's the idea, just let yourself go. I'll catch you."  
_

_Sookie bit her bottom lip, feeling Eric push his thumb into her slick folds, massaging her clit to bring her closer to the release she desperately needed. A jolt of pleasure surged through her body, causing her to throw her head back and let out a loud scream. It was a good thing Alyssa wasn't home right that second. She nearly came undone, but didn't have time to catch her breath as Eric was soon shoving his tongue inside her pussy, lapping up all of the remaining juices. Sookie was breathing heavily in the afterglow when he finally resurfaced, a look of great satisfaction on his face. "That tongue of yours should seriously be illegal."_

_Eric chuckled, moving to lie beside her. "Glad you approve, but what has you so distracted? I know there's something on your mind. Is everything all right with Alyssa?"_

_She nodded, still trying to get her breathing under control. "Alyssa's fine, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about."_

_Eric sat up, tenderly biting the nipple that slipped out from her comforter, smiling at the sound of her giggle._

"_That tickles," she replied._

_He circled the bud with his tongue, plopping it out of his mouth. "There is no part of you that's not delicious, but if you hope to have an actual conversation right now, it's best to keep those gorgeous breasts covered."_

_Sookie did as he said, taking in a deep breath before saying what she needed to. "I've decided that I'm ready to adopt a baby. A little boy, it's something I've been thinking about for a while now. I actually went to an orphanage the other day to talk to the woman in charge, Alcide gave me her name. I know this is a lot to take on…"_

_Eric cut her off by pressing a finger to her lips, removing it a second later. "Are you telling me that you plan to adopt a child with or without my consent, or that you wish for me to adopt a child with you?"_

"_More like the second one, but there's no pressure. If you don't feel like this is something you're ready for, I won't put your name on anything. I just wanted to know how you felt about it. I love you so much, Eric, but this is a lot of responsibility when we've technically only been together a few months."_

_He nodded, running his fingers through his tangled tresses. "I love you, too, and I would most likely think it was a lot of responsibility with anyone else, but I already see an entire future with you. That's not something I've ever had with my previous girlfriends. I consider Alyssa to be my daughter, and I would be more than happy to adopt another child with you."_

_She teared up at his confession. "Do you really mean that? There would be no going back._

"_I do, but there's just one thing missing."_

_Sookie raised her eyebrows in confusion, wondering what that could possibly be._

* * *

"Eric proposed to me after I told him about wanting to adopt, he said we were already a family and decided to make it more official. The wedding is set for this Christmas. He'll be moving into the farmhouse since I just don't have the heart to get rid of it."

He shrugged. "My apartment doesn't hold any sentimental value; it's no great loss to me."

Sookie gazed back at the child, who suddenly let out a big yawn.

"We should probably get this little guy home," Eric commented. "I know someone who can't wait to meet him."

Sookie laughed. "Alyssa has been going on nonstop about meeting her new brother; I've never seen her so excited about anything before."

"I'm glad for that, you both take care. I wish you all the happiness in the world," Elizabeth told them.

Sookie left the orphanage with Eric, putting Nathanial in his new car seat and letting herself in on the passenger side once he was situated. She stared at her fiancé, again wondering what she did to deserve such a wonderful man. They had only known each other for a short while, but already had a family. It still pained her that she would never be able to give him a biological child, but glancing at the pleased expression on his face, she knew he was more than okay with that. Parenthood wasn't always about blood; it was about unconditional love and being there for your children no matter what. A slow smile formed on Sookie's features as they headed for home, she wouldn't have it any other way.

**The End**

**I know I skipped a lot, but I was just out of ideas for this one. I did say it would only be about 12 chapters. With me moving and starting a new job recently, I didn't have the time to devote more to this story. I hope you guys liked it, anyway. Thanks for the reviews, it's always much appreciated!**


End file.
